Patent application title: ERROR HANDLING FOR MULTI-FUNCTIONAL DISPLAY

Abstract:

A vehicle display system includes a plurality of sensors mounted to a
vehicle for sensing vehicle operating conditions and a vehicle display
controller in communication with the sensors. The controller is capable
of receiving signals transmitted from the sensors and prioritizing
vehicle operating conditions indicated by received signals according to
predetermined criteria. The system further includes a display screen
adapted to display warning signals according to signals received from the
vehicle display controller. The display screen arranges the displayed
warning signals according to one of a plurality of display masks. The
display mask is determined by the number of displayed warning signals.
The display mask has a first warning signal display area for displaying
warning signals having priorities greater than a predetermined level and
a second warning signal display area for displaying warning signals
having priorities less than the predetermined level.

Claims:

1. A vehicle display system adapted to display one or more warning signals
representing vehicle operating conditions, the display system
comprising:(a) a plurality of sensors mounted to a vehicle for sensing
vehicle operating conditions;(b) a vehicle display controller in
communication with the plurality of sensors, the controller being capable
of receiving signals transmitted from the plurality of sensors and
prioritizing vehicle operating conditions indicated by received signals
according to predetermined criteria; and(c) a display screen adapted to
display warning signals according to signals received from the vehicle
display controller, each warning signal indicating a vehicle operating
condition, the display screen being adapted to arrange the displayed
warning signals according to one of a plurality of display masks, the
display mask being determined by the number of displayed warning signals,
wherein the display mask has a first warning signal display area for
displaying warning signals having priorities greater than a predetermined
level and a second warning signal display area for displaying warning
signals having priorities less than the predetermined level.

2. The vehicle display system of claim 1, wherein warning signals
displayed in the first warning signal display area are located relative
to other warning signals displayed in the first warning signal display
area according to the relative priority of each warning signal.

3. The vehicle display system of claim 2, wherein the first warning signal
display area is capable of displaying a predetermined number of warning
signals at a particular time, said first warning signal display area
displaying the warning signals having higher priority among active
warning signals when a number of active warning signals is greater than
the predetermined number of warning signals and not displaying warning
signals having lower priority among active warning signals.

4. The vehicle display system of claim 3, wherein the system further
includes a scrolling means, said scrolling means adapted to sequentially
display each active warning signal on the display when the number of
active warning signals is greater than the predetermined number of
warning signals.

5. The vehicle display system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the
displayed warning signals is selectively removable from the display when
the vehicle is stationary.

6. The vehicle display system of claim 5, wherein the at least one
displayed warning signal is not selectively removable from the display
when the vehicle is moving.

7. The vehicle display system of claim 1, wherein warning signals are
displayed in a color determined according to the priority of the
indicated operating condition.

8. The vehicle display system of claim 7, wherein warning signals having
priorities greater than the predetermined level are displayed in red and
warning signals having priorities less than the predetermined level are
displayed in yellow.

9. The vehicle display system of claim 1, wherein a newly sensed condition
initiates a warning cycle lasting a predetermined amount of time, a
warning signal being added to the first warning signal display area
during the warning cycle.

10. The vehicle display system of claim 9, wherein the added warning
signal continuously flashes on and off during the warning cycle.

11. The vehicle display system of claim 9, wherein the display emits a
warning sound during the warning cycle.

12. The vehicle display system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle display
controller is adapted to receive data bus messages from an electronic
system installed in the vehicle, the data bus messages being indicative
of at least one vehicle operating condition.

13. A method for displaying vehicle operating conditions on a display
screen, the method comprising:(a) receiving a signal from a sensor
indicative of a vehicle operating condition;(b) prioritizing the vehicle
operating condition according to a predetermined criteria;(c) displaying
a warning signal representing the vehicle operating condition on the
display screen, the warning signal being displayed in a color according
to the priority of the operating condition, the display screen having a
layout selected from a plurality of layouts, the layout being determined
according to the number of warning signals being displayed and changes as
the number of displayed warning signals changes,wherein displayed warning
signals of a first color are displayed in a first warning signal display
area of the display screen, and warning signals of a second color are
displayed in a second warning signal display area of the display screen.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of displaying a warning
signal further includes positioning warning signals displayed in the
first warning signal display area relative to other warning signals
displayed in the first warning signal display area according to the
relative priority of each warning signal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one displayed warning signal
is selectively removable from the display when the vehicle is stationary.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one selectively removable
warning signal is not selectively removable when the vehicle is moving.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of displaying a warning
signal further includes initiating a warning cycle lasting a
predetermined amount of time, and a warning signal is added to the first
warning signal display area during the warning cycle.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the added warning signal continuously
flashes on and off during the warning cycle.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of displaying a warning
signal further includes emitting a warning sound during the warning
cycle.

Description:

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001]This disclosure relates in general to vehicle information displays
and more specifically to error-handling messages for multi-function
vehicle information displays.

BACKGROUND

[0002]Vehicle information displays are installed in dashboards and in
other interior surfaces of vehicles to convey information to vehicle
operators. Displayed information can include vehicle operating parameters
such as vehicle speed, fuel level, engine temperature, oil pressure,
parking brake engagement, and other information that would be of
potential interest to a vehicle operator. In addition to informing the
operator of vehicle parameters, information displays can also display
warning signals when the operating parameters meet certain predetermined
criteria. The displayed warning signals use icons, text, or both to alert
the operator to the detected condition.

[0003]Warnings signals can indicate conditions of varying severity. For
example, some warning signals, such as "Interaxle Diff Lock Under 25
MPH," "Check Engine," and "Low Coolant," indicate non-critical conditions
that do not require immediate attention. Other warning signals, such as
"Stop Engine," "King Pin Unlocked," and "Park Brake While Moving"
indicate conditions that require the vehicle operator to take immediate
action to avoid potentially unsafe operating conditions. In order to
differentiate warning signals that indicate critical conditions from
those that indicate non-critical conditions, warning signals are
displayed in different colors. For example, critical warning signals are
displayed in red, while non-critical warning signals are displayed in
yellow.

[0004]As vehicles have become more complex, the number of operating
conditions of which operators must be aware has increased substantially.
As a result, at any given time, it may be necessary to display several
warning signals. However, a problem exists in that the limitations in the
display area size of known displays often precludes the display of all
active warnings at a given time.

SUMMARY

[0005]A vehicle display system is disclosed, wherein the system is capable
of displaying warning icons related to vehicle operating conditions.
Vehicle operating conditions are detected by sensors mounted to the
vehicle. The sensors transit the conditions to a vehicle display
controller as electronic signals. The vehicle display controller also
receives data bus messages, which are also electronic signals, from
various vehicle systems. The vehicle display controller receives the
electronic signals and determines the appropriate warning signals to be
displayed on the screen of the vehicle display according to predetermined
criteria. The vehicle display controller prioritizes the warning signals
and transmits the prioritized warning signals to the display, which shows
the prioritized warning signals.

[0006]In order to display the warning signals, in embodiments described
herein, one of a plurality of masks is applied to the screen according to
the number of warning signals to be displayed. The mask determines the
size and location of each warning signal. Critical warning signals are
displayed in a critical warning signal display area, and non-critical
warning signals are displayed in a non-critical warning signal display
area. Each warning signal is displayed in a color determined according to
the priority of the indicated operating condition. The displayed warning
signals are arranged within each warning signal display area according to
priority so that the highest priority warning signals are displayed
first.

[0007]It should be appreciated that this summary is provided to introduce
a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described
below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to
identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended
to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject
matter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008]The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this
invention will become more readily appreciated by reference to the
following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0009]FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a vehicle information display in
accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

[0015]A multi-functional vehicle information display 10 (the "display 10")
constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure
is best seen by referring to FIG. 1. The display 10 is adaptable to be
mounted in the dashboard or any other suitable interior surface of a
vehicle. The display 10 is preferably located in a position that is
visible to the vehicle operator during normal vehicle operation, but can
be located in other areas of the vehicle interior, such as on the
passenger side of the vehicle or in the sleeper compartment, if the
vehicle is so equipped. The display 10 includes a screen 12 that has a
matrix of pixels therein, wherein the pixels are capable of being
selectively activated to form various images on the screen 12. Known
screens of this type include, but are not limited to, screens that use
liquid crystal diodes (LCDs), light emitting diodes (LEDs), and cathode
ray tubes (CRTs).

[0016]Still referring to FIG. 1, the screen 12 comprises first and second
display areas 14 and 16 in which warning signals are displayed. The
screen further comprises first and second supplemental display areas 18
and 20. Supplemental information 22 related to the operation of the
display 10, such as a display navigation menu, display status, and the
total number of active warning signals may be shown in the supplemental
display areas 18 and 20.

[0017]The vehicle in which the display 10 is mounted includes a plurality
of vehicle sensors 26. These sensors 26 shown in the block diagram of
FIG. 6 may include, but are not limited to, sensors capable of sensing
vehicle speed, fuel level, engine temperature, oil pressure, parking
brake engagement, and any other information that would be of potential
interest to a vehicle operator. The sensors 26 send electronic signals to
a vehicle display controller 28. In one embodiment, the vehicle display
controller 28 receives data bus messages from one or more electronic
systems installed in the vehicle. These data bus messages can be in
addition to or in lieu of the electronic signals received from the
sensors 26.

[0018]The vehicle display controller 28 determines if the operating
conditions meet predetermined criteria that require one or more warning
signals to be displayed. When the vehicle display controller 28
determines that warning signals are to be displayed, the vehicle display
controller 28 prioritizes the warning signals and sends the signals to
the display 10. The display 10 then displays the appropriate warning
signals and controls the appearance of the display 10 according to the
number, types, and priority of warning signals to be displayed.

[0019]In several embodiments, warning signals may be prioritized according
to predetermined criteria. FIG. 2 shows one embodiment of a warning
signal priority schedule for a heavy duty vehicle, wherein warning
signals are prioritized by the severity of the indicated condition. In
the illustrated embodiment, the "Stop Engine" warning signal, which
indicates that the vehicle operator should immediately stop the engine,
is assigned the highest priority. Other critical warning signals,
including "King Pin Unlocked," "High Exhaust Temperature" while the
vehicle is traveling under 10 miles per hour, "Parking Brake" engaged
while the vehicle is traveling over 1.2 miles per hour, and "High Exhaust
Temperature" while the vehicle is traveling over 10 miles per hour are
assigned successively lower priorities. Non-critical warning signals
include "Active Regeneration" of the diesel particulate filter, "Truck
ABS" engaged, "Trailer ABS" engaged, "Interaxle Differential Locked"
while the vehicle is traveling over 25 miles per hour, "Check Engine,"
"Low Coolant," "Suspension Dump" when pressurized air is vented from the
vehicle's air suspension, and "Interaxle Differential Locked" while the
vehicle is traveling under 25 miles per hour. Like the critical warning
signals, these non-critical warning signals are also prioritized relative
to the other warning signals.

[0020]In order to make the critical warnings signals more readily
distinguishable from the non-critical warning signals, critical warnings
signals are generally displayed in red, while non-critical warning
signals are generally displayed in yellow. It should be appreciated that
while the color of a particular warning signal generally corresponds to
the priority of that warning signal, in some embodiments, a critical
warning signal may be displayed in yellow, or a non-critical warning
signal may be displayed in red. Critical warning signals may be further
emphasized using other means, such as displaying the critical warning
signals with icons that are larger than those representing non-critical
warning signals, displaying critical warning signals as blinking icons,
and accompanying the display of a critical warning signal with a warning
sound.

[0021]It should be noted that the warning signal priority schedule shown
in FIG. 2 is illustrative in nature. It should be apparent to those of
skill in the art that the number and type of warning signals may be
varied without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Further,
variations in the prioritization and display color of different warning
signals are also within the scope of the disclosure.

[0022]Referring back to FIG. 1, the vehicle display controller 28 (FIG. 6)
is capable of changing the layout of the screen 12 according to the
number and type of warning signals being displayed at a particular time.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, when a single warning signal is
displayed, the vehicle display controller 28 signals the first and second
display areas 14 and 16 to display information according to a first mask
30. In one suitable embodiment, the first mask 30 comprises a warning
signal display area 32 in which an icon or text representing the warning
signal is displayed. In one suitable embodiment, the first mask 30
further includes first, second, third, and fourth text display areas 34,
36, 38, and 40 in which additional text or images can be displayed. The
additional text or images may supplement the information displayed in the
warning signal display area 32 or may provide additional, but unrelated,
information. For example, if a "Stop Engine" warning signal is displayed,
in the warning signal display area 32, a reasons such as "Low Oil
Pressure" or "High Engine Temperature" may be displayed in one or more of
the first, second, third, and fourth text display areas 34, 36, 38, and
40 to supplement the displayed warning signal. Alternately, information
that is unrelated to the warning signal, such as time or temperature, may
be displayed in one or more of the first, second, third, and fourth text
display areas 34, 36, 38, and 40.

[0023]When more than one warning signal is displayed at a particular time,
the vehicle display controller 28 signals the first and second display
areas 14 and 16 to display information according to an exemplary second
mask 50. As best shown in FIG. 4, one embodiment of the second mask 50
includes first, second, and third critical warning signal display areas
52, 54, and 56 in which icons or text representing critical warning
signals are displayed in red. The second mask 50 further includes first,
second, and third non-critical warning signal display areas 62, 64, and
66 in which icons or text representing non-critical warning signals are
displayed in yellow.

[0024]In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, the warning signal display
area 32 of the first mask 30 is larger than any of the critical or
non-critical warning signal display areas 52, 54, 56, 62, 64, and 66 of
the second mask 50 shown in FIG. 4. Thus, because only one warning signal
is displayed when the first mask 30 is applied, the single warning signal
is more prominently displayed. It should be apparent that the display 10
may include any number of masks to provide for different numbers of
warning signals and different combinations of critical and non-critical
warning signals. In addition, warning signal display areas may be of
different sizes and colors in order to further emphasize higher priority
warning signals and distinguish them from lower priority warning signals.

[0025]In practice, the display 10 operates to alert the vehicle operator
of the highest priority operating conditions at any given time. When
conditions are such that only one warning signal is required, the vehicle
display controller 28 signals the first and second display areas 14 and
16 to display information according to the first mask 30. The warnings
signal that represents the operating condition is displayed in the
warning signal display area 32 of the first mask 30. When the warning
signal is a critical warning signal, it is displayed in red. When the
warning signal is a non-critical warning signal, it is displayed in
yellow. Additional information regarding the warning signal may be
optionally displayed in first, second, third, and fourth text display
areas 34, 36, 38, and 40. It should be appreciated that warning signal
colors are not limited to red and yellow, but may also include any number
of additional or alternative colors.

[0026]In accordance with one embodiment, the initial display of a warning
signal may include a "warning cycle" during which the warning signal
flashes on and off for a predetermined period of time. The warning cycle
may be accompanied by a warning sound to provide an additional indication
that a warning cycle has commenced. After the warning cycle period has
been completed, the warning sound ceases and the warning signal is
displayed in a continuous state.

[0027]The single warning signal is displayed along with the first mask 30
until one of several events occurs. One such event is the termination of
the condition that triggered the warning signal to be displayed. When the
triggering condition ends, then the warning signal ceases to be
displayed. Optionally, the display may require a manual reset to remove a
displayed warning signal even though the triggering condition has ended.

[0028]A displayed warning signal may also be removed from the display 12
screen by manually suppressing the warning signal, even though the
triggering condition is still present. As shown in the embodiment of FIG.
2, all of the warning signals can be manually suppressed when the vehicle
is stationary. In contrast, only the lowest priority warning signals
("Check Engine," "Low Coolant," "Suspension Dump," and "Interaxle
Differential Locked" while the vehicle is traveling under 25 miles per
hour) can be suppressed while the vehicle is moving.

[0029]When conditions are such that multiple warning signals are required,
the second mask 50 is applied to the screen 12. Referring to FIG. 2,
critical warning signals are displayed in critical warning display areas
52, 54, and 56, and are arranged on the screen 12 according to priority.
When conditions are such that there are more active critical warning
signals than there are available critical warning display areas 52, 54,
and 56, only the highest priority warning signals are displayed. The
lower priority warning signals are not displayed until enough higher
priority warning signals have been removed or suppressed so that the
lower priority signals are among the highest remaining signals.

[0030]Non-critical warning signals are displayed in non-critical warning
display areas 62, 64, and 66 by priority in a manner similar to the
critical warning signals. That is, the non-critical warning signals are
displayed according to priority. When there are more active non-critical
warning signals than non-critical warning signal display areas 62, 64,
and 66, only the highest priority non-critical warning signals are
displayed on the screen 12. Lower priority non-critical warning signals
are not displayed until higher priority non-critical warning signals have
been removed or suppressed.

[0031]FIG. 5 shows a sequence in which a non-critical warning signal is
added to the screen 12. Initially, the second mask 50 is applied to the
screen 12, and one critical warning signal ("Stop Engine") and one
non-critical warning signal ("Truck ABS") are displayed. The critical
warning signal is displayed in warning signal display areas 52 in red,
and the non-critical warning signal is displayed in warning signal
display area 62 in yellow. When a new non-critical warning signal ("Low
Coolant") is required, the non-critical signal is displayed on the screen
12 so that the warning signals are arranged in order of priority. Because
the "Low Coolant" warning signal has a lower priority than the "Truck
ABS" warning signal, the "Truck ABS" warning signal remains in
non-critical warning signal display area 62, and the "Low Coolant"
warning signal is displayed in non-critical warning signal display area
64. If the "Truck ABS" warning signal had a lower priority than the "Low
Coolant" warning signal, then the "Truck ABS" warning symbol would be
moved to non-critical warning signal display area 64, and the "Low
Coolant" warning signal would be displayed in non-critical warning signal
display area 62.

[0032]Although lower priority warning signals are not displayed on the
screen 12 when the warning signal display areas are occupied by warning
signals having a higher priority, when a lower priority warning signal is
added, the display 10 still undergoes a warning cycle for each new
warning signal during which a warning sound is emitted. Thus, the vehicle
operator is alerted to the presence of a new warning signal, even if the
warning signal is not displayed on the screen 12. In one embodiment, the
display 10 includes a manual scrolling feature. The manual scrolling
feature allows the vehicle operator to view additional active warning
signals that are not shown on the display by selectively scrolling all
active warning signals across the display 10. In one embodiment, the
active warning signals are scrolled across the display 10 sequentially,
according to warning signal priority. The scrolling feature may be a
dial, one or more buttons, toggle switches, a touch screen, or any other
suitable means for allowing operator input.

[0033]While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described,
it will be appreciated that various changes can be made therein without
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.